Monthly Total Ridership​

​Average D​​aily Ridership

Note: the average daily ridership in August 2015 reflects only the final week of the month after New Bus Network opened and school had started while the average daily ridership in August 2016 reflects the entire month including prior to the start of the school year. Productivity indicators reflect service levels effective August 21, 2016.

​Executive Summary​

The above table serves as a snapshot of the typical factors that impact ridership, and illustrates the differences which exist between the current month and the same month in the previous year. If a change occurred, it is categorized to represent a (typically) positive, negative or neutral impact on ridership.More details on the observed impacts are noted in the description of ridership results below. ​

​Local Network Overview

Local Bus

Monthly Total

There were 5,045,246 boardings in August 2016 on local bus service. A change in calendar mix in August 2016 relative to August 2015 (2 more weekdays, 1 fewer Saturday, 1 fewer Sunday) contributed to a ridership increase which was offset by the ridership decrease over the same time period from offering free fares for one week in August 2015 but not offering free fares in August 2016. Additionally, weather negatively impacted ridership in August 2016, which experienced 7.90 inches of rain compared to 2.57 inches of rain in 2015. The increased rainfall contributed to the ridership decrease in August 2016.

Average Daily Ridership: Weekday / Saturday / Sunday

Average Weekday ridership decreased by -16,954 boardings (or 8 percent decrease) in August 2016 compared to 2015. One year after implementation of the New Bus Network, ridership growth continues on Saturday (approximately 4 percent) and Sunday (approximately 4 percent). ​

​Light Rail

Monthly Total

There were 1,518,762 boardings on all three light rail lines in August 2016. This is a decrease of -14,196 boardings (or 1 percent decrease) over August 2015. The year-over-year loss reflects the higher ridership last year primarily due to the week of free fares offe​red for the implementation of METRO’s New Bus Network. Red line ridership was negatively impacted by planned service interruptions. ​

Average Daily Ridership: Weekday / Saturday / Sunday

Average daily ridership increased on Saturday, and Sunday on the local network. Saturday and Sunday ridership increased (by 3 percent and 2 percent, respectively) while weekday ridership decreased by 9 percent. The Saturday and Sunday increases experienced in 2016 compared to 2015 primarily result from increased service levels on the weekend in the New Bus Network.​

Total Local Network

Monthly Total

Local network ridership decreased in 2016 compared to the previous year by -119,219 boardings (a decrease of 2 percent) due to the factors noted earlier.​

Average Daily Ridership: Weekday / Saturday / Sunday

Average daily ridership increased on Saturday, and Sunday on the local network. Saturday and Sunday ridership increased by 3% and 2%, respectively while weekday ridership decreased by 9 percent. The Saturday and Sunday increases experienced in 2016 compared to 2015 result from increased service levels on the weekend in the New Bus Network, as well as other factors noted earlier.

​Commuter Network Overview

Park & Ride

Monthly Total

There were 739,207 Park & Ride boardings in July 2016 compared to 715,332 boardings in August 2015, an increase of 23,875 boardings (or a gain of 3 percent). The calendar mix impact of two additional weekdays contributed to the year-to-year increase.​

Average Daily Ridership: Weekday

Average weekday ridership in August 2016 was 31,971 boardings, a decrease of 3,903 boardings compared to August 2015 (an 11 percent loss). Again, the continued economic downturn is a contributing factor to the loss in average weekday ridership relative to August 2015.

Entire Network Summary

Monthly Total

Ridership on the entire fixed-route network in August 2016 decreased by 1 percent compared to the previous year. As mentioned earlier, the incremental impact of the free fares in 2015 and the positive calendar mix this year offset each other, while the weather impact is larger this year.

Average Daily Ridership: Weekday / Saturday / Sunday

Average daily ridership for the entire fixed-route network increased on Saturday and Sunday, with the weekend showing 3 percent and 2 percent gains respectively due to increased service levels on local bus, the bus-rail interface, and growth on the Green and Purple rail lines. Average Weekday ridership decreased by 9 percent year-to-year.​